Fellow Nigerians, the report of our state governors receiving N30 billion from the federal government to address the high cost of food in our country is another reason we must always demand accountability from our leaders.
Development Diaries reports that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, recently quoted ‘unverified reports’ that in the last few months, state governors received an additional N30 billion outside their normal allocation from the federation account to assist them in ameliorating the food crisis in the country.
‘I must say that unverified report has it that each of the state governments in the last few months received additional N30 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service, outside their normal allocation from the federation account to assist them in ameliorating the food situation’, he said.
“FG gave each state about N30b In the last few months to tackle issue of food supply….this N30b was not part of their statutory allocation….”
– Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio
— Jayjam (@JayItsJam) February 21, 2024
If the ‘unverified report’ is inaccurate, why have our state governors been silent on it? They ought to have immediately debunked it.
Anyway, if funds allocated for the well-being of Nigerians, especially the poor and vulnerable, have indeed not been utilised for the purpose for which they were approved, our state governors must take immediate and transparent action in accounting for the funds.
We also hear that our senate on Tuesday resolved to probe how the N30 trillion Ways and Means loans of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was obtained and spent by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ways and Means is a loan facility through which the CBN finances the government’s budget shortfalls. But our senate stated that the reckless spending of the overdraft collected from the CBN largely accounted for the food and security crises the country is facing. Let us shine our eye on this matter, too.
Meanwhile, Development Diaries demands that state governors across the country, based on the senate president’s comments, account for the N30 billion they reportedly received from the federal government to address the high cost of food in their states.
As Nigerians, we must remain vigilant and persistent in our efforts to ensure that public funds are used for the betterment of our society and not for the enrichment of a few corrupt individuals.
Photo source: Jamie Tubers
